Mar 28, 2014 3 min read

Hidden Treasures thrift store at Waterside Commons in Waynesburg is saying goodbye to March with a zany day of savings Tuesday on April Fools Day.

“We wanted to do something silly so we put Valentines Day hearts inside of plaster Easter eggs and hid them all over the store,” manager Kathy Suska said, opening a purple plastic egg to show a little heart with “20 %” written on it.

“There’s lots of eggs for lots of savings all the way to half off. It’s our way of thanking our loyal customers who’ve come out to shop all winter in all kinds of weather. It’s our customers who bring donations and come back to volunteer with us whenever they can, so this is how we show our appreciation.”

To prove her point, the front door opened and a woman came in with a bag of clothes.

“I have more bags in the car,” she said.

“Wonderful,” Suska said. “Here, we’ll take this shopping cart and help you unload.”

There was fresh coffee brewing in the back room where volunteers mingled with paid staff to open bags and boxes and sort all the treasures hidden inside as the newly donated goods got wheeled in.

On March 27, Suska took staff members and volunteers who had never visited Washington City Mission’s headquarters at 84 West Wheeling St., Washington, on a tour of the facility that includes the mission’s donation center, the chapel and Avis Arbor, that houses homeless women and children.

“The donation center was bigger than I imagined,” Jessica Sebulsky said. Even more impressive was the cafeteria, where residents both eat and take turns doing work therapy in the kitchen. “There was a salad bar and the food was delicious.”

“We arrived just in time for lunch,” Suska said. “The cafeteria is in the chapel and so is the men’s dormitory. After the residents eat, the kitchen is opened to the neighborhood. Nothing goes to waste. We recycle everything.”

Profits from the Hidden Treasures stores support the cafeteria community kitchen, the men’s shelter and the separate women’s shelter with room for custodial children. WCM is the largest private shelter in the area with the capacity to serve 56 men and 32 women and children. Over 133,000 meals are served annually.

The mission also has a voucher system to supply free goods and services to the homeless, whether it be from natural disaster or personal misfortune.

“Our mission is to end homelessness in our community one life at a time,” WCM president and CEO Dean Gartland said. “We work with other social services, and with drug and alcohol programs, hospitals, Salvation Army and the police to reach the homeless and help them reintegrate into society.”

WCM helps the homeless obtain independent housing, training and employment, recovery and a lifestyle change that includes dealing with whatever problems might have instigated homelessness in the first place.

To join the mission staff for lunch or tour the main campus in Washington, call 724-222-8530.

For more information or to volunteer in Waynesburg, call Hidden Treasures 724-852-1519. Store hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.